Former Santa Ana Unified School Superintendent Discusses the Reasons Behind Her Retirement

LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwired - Aug 16, 2013) - Dr. Thelma Melendez, former Superintendent of the Santa Ana Unified School District and Assistant Secretary of Education in the first Obama Administration, has launched a new blog that will highlight critical education issues and will track her professional projects and involvement.

"I want to create a forum for discussing major educational policy issues that we confront every day, on a local, regional and national level," said Dr. Melendez. "This blog will make such discussions possible and, hopefully, help contribute to sound decision-making."

Dr. Melendez said she is exploring numerous options for her next chapter as an educator. Meanwhile, in her first blog post, she clarified her reasons for retiring as Superintendent of California's sixth-largest school district with more than 57,000 students.

"Why do people keep looking for the so-called 'real' story behind my retirement? Mostly, I think people enjoy a more thrilling fiction, rather than the simple facts: it is time for a change.

"For more than 30 years, I have given my all to ensure that children have the best education possible. I have been immensely blessed with career opportunities. But I also realized that I missed my family and that my life was passing swiftly.

"Why am I retiring? Because I want to spend time with my family and enjoy them while I can. I want to continue making a difference in education, while I explore new avenues. I want to make the years ahead the most meaningful of my life."